This invention relates in general to printed circuit boards for use in power distribution circuits and junction boxes. In particular, this invention relates to an improved electrical power connection between the printed circuit board and cooperating connectors.
Printed circuit boards (PCB) are widely used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components and electronic circuits. Printed circuit boards are often rugged, inexpensive and highly reliable in various applications including transportation devices, such as automobiles. When used in such applications, printed circuit boards are used for many purposes including control circuits, monitoring circuits, junction boxes and power distribution.
A printed circuit board typically connects electronic components and electronic circuits using conductive pathways, or traces. The traces may be etched from copper sheets which are laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. A wide variety of solid state electronic components, including resistors, capacitors, thyristors, rectifiers, diodes and transistors can be connected to the printed circuit board and electrically to each other through the traces.
To provide the electrical connection between the electrical component and the traces, it is common to use electrical wiring therebetween. An electrical connector is connected to the end of the wire which in turn is connected to the traces. An example of this type of connection is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,429. U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,429 discloses a PCB having a non-conductive substrate sheet that includes a plurality of traces formed thereon. The substrate has a plurality of apertures formed therein defining an inner wall. The inner wall is lined with the electrically conductive material forming the traces. A compliant pin is frictionally held in place by resiliently contacting the lined inner wall of the substrate. The compliant pin can then be connected to a wire or other electrical member for connecting to an electrical component to the trace.
Although these types of connections generally perform well, for certain relatively high electrical current applications (e.g., power distribution within an automobile), the traces and lining must have a sufficient thickness to handle these relatively large amounts of electrical power. Thus, for traces which are to handle a relatively large amount of electrical power, the thickness and/or cross-sectional area of the trace is larger than a trace handling lesser amounts of electrical power.
While printed circuit boards can be relatively inexpensive to manufacturer, printed circuit boards incorporating traces capable of handling a large amount of electrical power are relatively more expensive due to the relatively larger amount of trace material and increase in manufacturing cost.